April 17

Scientists Send Zoo into Orbit

On this day in 1998, space shuttle Columbia's Neurolab entered outer space. The purpose of Neurolab was to study the effects of microgravity on the nervous system of various plants and humans.

The lab contained seven humans and 2,000 animals, including crickets, mice, rats, snails, eggs, and fish. The voyage enabled the most detailed study to date on microgravity and the nervous system.